This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119(a) on Patent Application No. 2001-154508 filed in Japan on May 23, 2001, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation system for a vehicle. In particular, the present invention relates to a navigation system for vehicle, which is suitable for a small vehicle in which it is difficult to secure a large display space.
2. Description of Background Art
Navigation systems for displaying the current position of a vehicle on a map by a combination of a position detector (GPS) utilizing satellite electromagnetic waves and map information and for providing guidance to a destination are widely used.
Hitherto, navigation systems for a vehicle have been developed mainly for four-wheel vehicles. However, in recent years, mounting of a navigation system on small-type vehicles such as motorcycles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs) for off-road driving has been investigated. The conventional navigation systems have a problem in that the display screen is enlarged due to the desire for providing the driver with a large amount of information. In the cases of small-type vehicles such as motorcycles, it has been difficult to secure a space for mounting the display panel in the field of vision of the driver.
FIG. 9 shows the construction of a meter panel of a background art navigation system for a motorcycle, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-14390. In the above document, navi display panel 72 for simply displaying guidance information by the navigation system is provided adjacent to a display panel 71 for displaying information such as the running speed and the distance traveled.
A guidance pattern for guiding the direction of a pre-registered predetermined transit point and a guidance pattern for guiding the direction to which the vehicle is to be turned at the transit point are displayed respectively in different regions 72a, 72b on the same screen. Therefore, the navi display panel 72 is enlarged in the lateral direction and, particularly in the cases of small-type vehicles, it has been technically difficult to secure the installation space.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation system for a vehicle by which the above-mentioned problems in the background art can be solved and guidance information necessary for the driver can be provided while using a small display space.
In order to attain the above object, the present invention is directed to a navigation system for displaying a plurality of kinds of guidance patterns differing in meaning given. A sole display region for displaying the guidance patterns simultaneously or selectively is provided. Furthermore, the guidance patterns are displayed in the display region in visually different display modes according to the respectively intrinsic meanings given.
According to the above characteristic features, a plurality of kinds of guidance patterns can be displayed in the sole display region, so that a large amount of guidance information can be obtained even when it is impossible to sufficiently secure space for a display region for a navigation system.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.